Refrigerator cabinet



2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. fllbari 7 Ball.

A. P. BALL REFRIGERATOR CABINET Filed Jan. 2, 1934 April 12, 1938.

a, cum M ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 12, 1938 UNITED STATES REFRIGERATOR CABINET Albert P. Ball, Detroit,

Manufacturing Company, Detroit, Mich.,

MichJ, assignor to Briggs a corporation of Michigan Application January 2, 1934, Serial No. 704,870

2 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerator cabinets and more particularly to cabinets useful in iceless refrigerating systems. An object of the invention is to provide an improved refrigerator cabinet having a main or inner storage compartment and a supplementary or outer compartment formed by means of a casing hinged therein and accessible when the main cabinet door is open, said casing being mounted to swing through the door opening to permit access to the main compartment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator cabinet of the foregoing type having improved means for maintaining the temperature and air within the supplementary compartment in desirable condition for the storage of Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation partly broken away illustrating a refrigerator cabinet embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken substantially along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a detail section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. l in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

Referring to the drawings wr erein several preferred adaptations of the invention are illustrated by way of example, there is shown at ill a suitable refrigerator cabinet having enclosing walls which may be of composition formation composed of insulating material and an outer and an inner metal sheathing. The front of the cabinet has the usual door opening controlled by a door Ii (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) hinged at l2 to the front wall of the cabinet. The door may also be a conventional construction including insulating material sheathed between outer and inner panels.

In accordance with the present invention there is mounted within the main compartment of the cabinet a. casing member generally indicated at I3 which forms a supplementary compartment extending vertically within the compartment adjacent the door opening. The casing it may be formed from sheet metal and comprises a vertical back wall l4, forwardly extending sides 15 and forwardly extending top and bottom walls 18 and i1 respectively. A box-like casing is thus provided which has an open face at its front facing the main cabinet door Ii. The bottom portion of the member I 3 is provided with a panel member 18 which has a flanged opening 19 in the face thereof forming a partially closed compartment bounded by the back wall i4, the sides IS, the forwardly extending bottom wall i1, and a top member 20 (Fig. 6). The casing member is preferably hinged within the cabinet to the top and bottom walls thereof at points rearwardly of the jamb faces of the door opening, see Fig. 5.

In the present instance there is fixed to the bottom wall I! of the casing l3, adjacent the hinged edge of the door II, a depending pivot pin 21 which is adapted to seat in a recess or socket 22 provided in the base of the main cabinet, the pin 21 being rotatable within the socket or recess. Vertically aligned with the pivot pin 2| is a retractable pivot pin 23 carried by the top wall 16 of the casing IS. A recess or socket 24 is provided in the top portion of the main cabinet and the pin 23 is rotatable within such socket or recess. The pivot pin 23 extends inside a casing 25. A headed portion 26 is secured to a rod 21 which joins the pivot 23 and the head 26. Within the casing 25 and surrounding the rod 2'! is a compression spring 28 which acts to maintain the pivot pin 23 in the position shown in Fig. 5 at all times except when the spring is compressed by retraction of the pivot pin 23 within the chamber 25. An opening 29 is provided in the top I6 of the casing 13 and is of sufiicient size to permit the casing 25 to extend upwardly therethrough. At its upper end the casing 25 is screw threaded as at 25a and lock nuts 30 and 3| are screw threaded thereon on opposite sides of the member I6 and cooperate with the screw-threaded portion 25a of the casing 25 to maintain the pivot 23 in the position as here shown. When it is desired to remove the casing I3 from the main compartment the head 26 may be grasped and pulled in a downward direction to retract the pivot 23 from the socket or recess 24 and the whole compart- Y ment may be lifted in such a manner that the pivot 2! is removed from the recess or socket 22. When in position withinthe compartment the pivots H and 23 will be held within their respective sockets under sufficient spring pressure to prevent chattering or rattling of the casing I3 during operation of the refrigerator mechanism.

It will be seen that the casing I3 is pivoted adjacent one side of the door opening preferably at the same side of the cabinet as the hinge I2 for the main door II so as to swing outwardly through the door opening when the door II is open. The casing, therefore, provides a supplementary door adapted to swing outwardly in the same direction as the main door so as to provide access to the interior of the cabinet. Means are preferably provided for locking the casing or supplementary door I3 in its inner closed position and for limiting its inward swinging movement so that it may be heldin proper position with relation to the outer door when the latter is closed. In the present instance the compartment door or casing I3 is yieldingly held in closed position by means of a spring 40 having one end secured to the side I 5 of the member l3 and having its other end formed with a latch portion M which is adapted to engage with a latch member 42 secured to the cabinet wall. The latch member 42 is provided with a wedge-shaped abutment or keeper portion 43 which is engaged by the latch portion M of the spring 40. When the compartment door I3 is swung into closed position, as shown in Fig. 2, the spring 40 will be compressed as the latch portion 4I moves into locking engagement with the abutment 43. By the provision of a plurality of locking members adapted to engage the compartment I3 at differ e'nt points in its height the compartment I3 will be yieldingly locked in position when closed so as to prevent vibration thereof.

As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5 the casing or compartment member I3 cooperates with the cabinet walls so as to effect a seal partly or wholly around the marginal edges of the main door opening. In this form of the invention the forward marginal edges of the casing l3, preferably along the sides, top and bottom thereof, are provided with a sealing strip 50 which may be formed of rubber or other suitable yieldable material. This strip extends outwardly from the marginal edges of the compartment I3 and may extend continuously or nearly continuously, as desired, around such edge of the casing and is so positioned as to contact with a flange 5| formed adjacent the rear marginal edge of the jamb face 52. The flange or abutment 5| may be omitted at the vertical side adjacent the pivots 2| and 23 and at this side the sealing will be effected by engagement of the compressiblev strip 50 with the straight tapered jamb face 52. Thus it will be seen in Figs. 2 and 5 that the sealing strip 50 effects a seal of the door opening around its inner edges, thereby providing a sealing means supplementary to the sealing means provided for sealing the door I l.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be noted that the casing I3 also functions as a closure means for the front opening of the evaporator casing. There is illustrated at 60 any conventional type of evaporator casing or housing which may include inner and outer walls BI and 62 spaced for the reception of coiled piping or other conduits (not shown) through which the refrigerant flows. The evaporator 60 provides the usual sharp freezing compartment 63 within which are located ice trays 64. The front of the evaporator casing is open to permit removal of the ice trays and in the present instance this opening is controlled by means of the rear wall I4 of the casing l3 so that when the casing or compartment I3 is swung into closed position within the main refrigerator compartment it will seal the front opening of the evaporator casing. In the present instance the front marginal wall of the evaporator casing is formed with a continuous groove or channel 65 within which is anchored the beaded edge 66 of a sealing strip 61 composed of rubber or other suitable material. The strip 61 forms a projecting flexible lip in position to be engaged by the back wall I4 of the casing I3, and since the sealing strip extends around the marginal edges of the front opening of the evaporator casing 60 the ice tray compartment thereof will be sealed when the casing I3 is in its closed position.

The interior of the supplementary compart ment or casing I3 is provided with suitable shelving so that articles of food may be conveniently placed thereon. In the present example a series of shelves I of the wire formed basket type are mounted within the casing. Each shelf is suitably formed of longitudinally extending strands II and cross strands 12 extending substantially at right angles to the strands H and secured to the latter at points intermediate the length thereof. The strands II and cross strands I2 are formed to provide a shelf having a bottom portion and an upwardly extending side portion. The side members l of the compartment I3 are punched in such a manner that shelf supporting lugs 13 and 13a are formed which extend inside the compartment I3 a suitable distance to engage and support the members forming the shelves 10. As shown in Fig. 3 a series of lugs 13 are provided in the sides I5, the shelf engaging portions of the lugs extending substantially at right angles to each other. Such a construction maintains the shelves securely in place within the compartment I3 and permits a removal of the shelves only if tilted in an upward direction a sufiicient distance to clear the top of the lugs I3 adjacent the forward edge of the shelf, after which the shelf may be moved horizontally from the compartment, which movement will disengage the shelf from the lugs 13a extending substantially at right angles to the lugs 13. The arrangement of the lugs 13 and 130. relative to the shelf is such that the weight of the shelf and its contents acts to maintain the shelf firmly wedged in position between the walls of the compartment I3.

By this construction it will be observed that ventilating openings are provided along the vertical sides l5 of the compartment I3. These openings are of such size and of such a number as to permit a desirable exchange of air between the compartments so as to prevent sweating but are not of such a size as to permit a substantial amount of circulation of the refrigerated air from the main compartment through the supplementary compartment. A compartment is thus provided in which a somewhat higher temperature than the main compartment, suchas at a '82 in position for contacting with the raboeted differential of approximately 10 F., may be maintained and the compartment is therefore particularly adapted for the storage of foods such as fruits and vegetables which should not be chilled to the temperatures ordinarily maintained in the cabinet. The supplementary compartment also is particularly advantageous for the storing of foods which cannot be stored when subjected to such a circulation of refrigerated air as to cause dehydration of the foods.

It will be noted that the sealing strip 61 will not only effect a relatively tight closure of the front of the evaporator or ice tray housing, but will also act as a cushioning means and yielding stops effective to exert sufllcient pressure against the back wall ll of the casing I3 so as to prevent objectionable noises due to vibration or chattering.

The lower portion of the door compartment i3 is enclosed at the front by the plate l8 and the interior of the compartment is accessible through the flanged opening I9. It has been found that such a compartment is particularly desirable for the storage of tall articles such as milk bottles and the like and the member l8 prevents displacement of articles contained in the lower compartment.

In order to permit cleaning of this compartment 9. slidable door |8a is provided at a point directly beneath the flanged opening l8, themember l8 having spaced vertical edges folded to form channels |8b to engage the vertical side edges of the door I811. The door |8a thus may be removed or installed by sliding it vertically in the channels l8b.

In the embodiment of my invention here shown the outer panel 80 of the cabinet I8 extends to a point adjacent the jamb face 52 and is flanged as at 80a to provide a channel or rabbeted portion which extends around the margin of the door opening. The inner panel 8| is provided with the flange or abutment 5| and extends outwardly and integrally therefrom to form the entire jamb face '52, thus providing an integral breaker strip for the door opening. The panel 8| terminates in a bent flanged portion 8|a overlapping the portion 80a of the outer panel 80. A sealing strip 82 of rubber or other suitable material is interposed and clamped between the overlapping flanges of the outer panel 88 and the inner panel 8| and I the door opening, a movable outer door of a size extends outwardly therefrom to form a sealing strip which is contacted by the door II when in the closed position as shown in Fig. 2.

Asshown in Fig. 5 the door may be constructed of an outer panel lie and a separate inner panel ilb. The ends of the outer panel Ila and the inner panel ilb terminate at points spaced apart from each other and the gap between the ends of the panels is closed by a removable breaker strip ||c which is secured to the frame portion lid of the door. The space between the outer panel I la and the inner panel I lb is fllled with any suitable insulating material.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a construction has been provided which permits the supplementary compartment ii to be located wholly within the refrigerated space of the main compartment in the rear of the breaker strip or jamb face of the door opening, and a cabinet construction has been provided in which the inner panel 8| is formed to provide the lamb face of the door opening and cooperates with an edge of the outer panel 88 to maintain the sealing strip portion of the door II when the door is in the closed position.

I claim:

1. A domestic refrigerator comprising a cabinet having a main door opening, an inner metal panel forming an inner main compartment and a door jamb located within said opening, the inner panel at the juncture of said main compartment and said door jamb having an inwardly extending integral abutment extending around a plurality of sides of said main door opening, said inner panel terminating in an angular flange extending around 'said door jamb, an outer metal panel forming the exterior wall of said cabinet and having a flange cooperating with said inner panel flange within the door opening, a movable outer door of a size to close said opening, an auxiliary food compartment associated with said door in rear thereof and including a casing having a rear vertical wall and enclosing forwardly extending side walls provided with an angularly disposed surrounding flange adapted to effect'an approximate closure of said opening and to expose said food compartment when the outer door is opened, said casing being movable horizontally through said opening independently of the door, a sealing strip carried by said surrounding casing flange and engaging the door jamb portion and abutment of the inner metal panel to seal the inner main compartment when thecasing is in closed position, and a sealing strip carried by the flange on the inner metal panel and engaging the outer panel flange, said last named sealing strip having a portion engaged by said outer door when in closed position to seal the auxiliary food compartment and to provide an additional seal for the main compartment.

2. A domestic refrigerator comprising a cabinet having a main door opening, an inner metal panel forming an inner main compartment and a door jamb located within said opening, the inner panel at the juncture of said inner main compartment and said door jamb having an inwardly extending abutment at a plurality of sides of said main door opening, said inner panel terminating in an angular flange extending around said door jamb, an outer metal panel forming the exterior wall of said cabinet and having a flange cooperating with said inner panel flange within to close said opening, an auxiliary food compartment associated with said door in rear thereof and including a casing having a rear vertical wall and enclosing forwardly extending side walls provided with an angularly disposed surrounding flange adapted to effect an approximate closure of said opening and to expose said food compartment when the outer door is opened, said casing being movable horizontally through said opening independently of the door, a sealing strip carried by said surrounding casing flange and engaging the door jamb portion and integral abutment of the inner metal panel to seal the inner main compartment when the casing is in closed position, and a sealing strip associated with and interposed between the cooperating flanges on the inner and outer metal panels and having a portion adapted to be engaged by said outer door when in closed position for sealing the auxiliary food compartment.

ALBERT P. BALL. 

